By KELVIN CHAN, AP Enterprise Author
LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk, who’s providing to purchase Twitter, has given his assist to a brand new European Union regulation geared toward defending social media customers from dangerous content material after he met with the bloc’s single market chief.
EU Inner Market Commissioner Thierry Breton advised The Related Press on Tuesday that he outlined to Musk how the bloc’s on-line laws purpose to uphold free speech whereas additionally ensuring no matter is illegitimate “will likely be forbidden within the digital house,” which Musk “absolutely agreed with.”
In a video Breton tweeted late Monday, Musk stated the 2 had a “nice dialogue” and that he agrees with the Digital Providers Act, which is predicted to get remaining approval later this yr. It’s going to make massive tech corporations like Twitter, Google and Fb mother or father Meta police their platforms extra strictly for unlawful or dangerous content material like hate speech and disinformation or face billions in fines.
Musk’s plan to purchase Twitter for $44 billion has raised fears he would make adjustments to the platform that may prioritize free speech over on-line security — probably placing him at odds with the looming guidelines in Europe, which has led a worldwide motion to crack down on the ability of tech giants.
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The 65-second clip signifies Musk’s and the EU’s views could also be nearer than they seem. Breton says within the video that he defined the Digital Providers Act to Musk in a gathering at Tesla’s Texas headquarters. Musk responds by saying it is “precisely aligned with my considering.”
“I agree with all the things you stated, actually,” Musk stated. “I feel we’re very a lot of the identical thoughts and, you already know, I feel something that my corporations can do that may be helpful to Europe, we wish to do this.”
The tried Twitter acquisition by Musk, a billionaire and self-described free speech absolutist, had raised issues that he would take a hands-off strategy to content material moderation.
Breton advised AP he defined to Musk that the brand new regulation means “we’d like additionally to have extra moderators, and within the language the place we function. So he absolutely understood.”
The pair agreed on the significance of having the ability to examine algorithms that decide what social media customers are being proven, Breton stated.
The Digital Providers Act requires extra transparency for algorithms, and Musk has known as for opening them as much as public inspection.
One other subject of debate was President Donald Trump’s ban from Twitter for inciting violence on the U.S. Capitol rebellion, which Musk has reportedly opposed.
Breton stated he advised Musk the EU regulation contains provisions to take care of the rights of customers, akin to giving them the fitting to enchantment bans.
See all of AP’s tech protection at https://apnews.com/hub/know-how.
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